Southampton confirmed the signing of Romain Perraud recently and the attacking French left-back could change the way Ralph Hasenhuttl's side set up next season.
Ligue 1 expert Adam White's thoughts on the Perraud signing:
French football expert Adam White recently sat down with Football FanCast to give his exclusive thoughts on the Saints' addition of Perraud, saying:
"He’s a very attacking player but also has the defensive acumen to back it up. One-on-one, he is very good defensively, his positioning is very good and he is also very good technically.
"In theory, Southampton’s style of play will suit him. I think he is a really exciting player.
"I really like him as a player and he has a pretty unique skill-set. It’s a big step up but I’d back him to make it.”
Will Southampton change the way they play?
Last season saw Southampton predominantly set up in a 4-2-2-2 system with Ryan Bertrand and Kyle Walker-Peters at left-back and right-back.
Usually, we would see the former Spurs man bombing forward down the right in order to support the attack, whilst Bertrand would often be a lot more conservative and form a three-man defence when Saints were in possession.
After the 31-year-old opted to leave Southampton this summer when his contract expired, a replacement was always going to be necessary, but Perraud seems like a very different player to his predecessor.
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As White suggests, he is extremely attacking, as he registered three goals and seven assists in Ligue 1 last season, whereas Bertrand managed no goals and one assist in the Premier League.
If Perraud is better going forward than Walker-Peters, perhaps we will see a switch with the Englishman playing a more conservative role, as you feel that if Southampton send them both forward, then they could find themselves even more vulnerable to counterattacks.
After conceding the second-most goals in the Premier League last season, Hasenhuttl will want his side to be a lot more defensively sound next season, so given Perraud's ability in attack, it seems clear that a tactical change will be necessary.
Hopefully, if Southampton's full-backs can get forward a lot more and contribute with more goals and assists, it could really take them to the next level for the 2021/22 campaign.
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